- § 1591. Salinity control policy
- § 1592. Authorization to construct, operate, and maintain salinity control units and salinity control programs
- § 1593. Planning reports; research and demonstration projects
- § 1594. Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council
- § 1595. Salinity control units; authority and functions of Secretary of the Interior
- § 1596. Biennial report to President, Congress, and Advisory Council
- § 1597. Construction of provisions of subchapter
- § 1598. Achieving project objectives
- § 1599. Definitions
§ 1591. Salinity control policy
(a) Implementation by Secretary of the Interior
(b) Expeditious investigation, planning, and implementation of salinity control program
(c) Cooperation with other Federal agencies
(Pub. L. 93–320, title II, § 201, June 24, 1974, 88 Stat. 270; Pub. L. 98–569, § 1, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2933.)
§ 1592. Authorization to construct, operate, and maintain salinity control units and salinity control programs
(a) Authority of SecretaryThe Secretary is authorized to construct, operate, and maintain the following salinity control units and salinity control programs as the initial stage of the Colorado River Basin salinity control program:
(1) The Paradox Valley unit, Montrose County, Colorado, consisting of facilities for collection and disposition of saline ground water of Paradox Valley, including wells, pumps, pipelines, solar evaporation ponds, and all necessary appurtenant and associated works such as roads, fences, dikes, power transmission facilities, and permanent operating facilities, and consisting of measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone.
(2) The Grand Valley unit, Colorado, consisting of measures and all necessary appurtenant and associated works to reduce the seepage of irrigation water from the irrigated lands of Grand Valley into the ground water and thence into the Colorado River. Measures shall include lining of canals and laterals, replacing canals and laterals with pipe, and the combining of existing canals and laterals into fewer and more efficient facilities implementing other measures to reduce salt contributions from the Grand Valley to the Colorado River, and implementing measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone..1
1 So in original.
Prior to initiation of construction of the Grand Valley unit, or portion thereof, the Secretary shall enter into contracts through which the non-Federal entities owning, operating, and maintaining the water distribution systems, or portions thereof, in Grand Valley, singly or in concert, will assume the obligations specified in subsection (b)(2) relating to the continued operation and maintenance of the unit’s facilities to the end that the maximum reduction of salinity inflow to the Colorado River will be achieved.(3) The Las Vegas Wash unit, Nevada, consisting of facilities for collection and disposition of saline ground water of Las Vegas Wash, including infiltration galleries, pumps, desalter, pipelines, solar evaporation facilities, and all appurtenant works including but not limited to roads, fences, power transmission facilities, and operating facilities, and consisting of measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone.
(4) Stage I of the Lower Gunnison Basin unit, Colorado, consisting of measures and all necessary appurtenant and associated works to reduce seepage from canals and laterals in the Uncompahgre Valley, and consisting of measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone, essentially as described in the feasibility report and final environmental statement dated February 10, 1984. Prior to initiation of construction of stage I of the Lower Gunnison Basin unit, or of a portion of stage I, the Secretary shall enter into contracts through which the non-Federal entities owning, operating, and maintaining the water distribution systems, or portions thereof, in the Uncompahgre Valley, singly or in concert, will assume the obligations specified in subsection (b)(2) relating to the continued operation and maintenance of the unit’s facilities.
(5) Portions of the McElmo Creek unit, Colorado, as components of the Dolores participating project, Colorado River Storage project, authorized by Public Law 90–537 [43 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.] and Public Law 84–485 [43 U.S.C. 620 et seq.], consisting of all measures and all necessary appurtenant and associated works to reduce seepage only from the Towaoc-Highline combined canal, Rocky Ford laterals, Lone Pine lateral, and Upper Hermana lateral, and consisting of measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone. The Dolores participating project shall have salinity control as a project purpose insofar as these specific facilities are concerned: Provided, That the costs of construction and replacement of these specific facilities shall be allocated by the Secretary to salinity control and irrigation only after consultation with the State of Colorado, the Montezuma Valley Irrigation District, Colorado, and the Dolores Water Conservancy District, Colorado: And provided further, That such allocation of costs to salinity control will include only the separable and specific costs of these specific facilities and will not include any joint costs of any other facilities of the Dolores participating project. Repayment of costs allocated to salinity control shall be subject to this chapter. Repayment of costs allocated to irrigation shall be subject to the Acts which authorized the Dolores participating project, the Reclamation Act of 1902, and Acts amendatory and supplementary thereto. Prior to initiation of construction of these specific facilities, or a portion thereof, the Secretary shall enter into contracts through which the non-Federal entities owning, operating, and maintaining the water distribution systems, or portions thereof, in the Montezuma Valley, singly or in concert, will assume the obligations specified in subsection (b)(2) relating to the continued operation and maintenance of the unit’s facilities.
(6) A basinwide salinity control program that the Secretary, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, shall implement. The Secretary may carry out the purposes of this paragraph directly, or may make grants, commitments for grants, or advances of funds to non-Federal entities under such terms and conditions as the Secretary may require. Such program shall consist of cost-effective measures and associated works to reduce salinity from saline springs, leaking wells, irrigation sources, industrial sources, erosion of public and private land, or other sources that the Secretary considers appropriate. Such program shall provide for the mitigation of incidental fish and wildlife values that are lost as a result of the measures and associated works. The Secretary shall submit a planning report concerning the program established under this paragraph to the appropriate committees of Congress. The Secretary may not expend funds for any implementation measure under the program established under this paragraph before the expiration of a 30-day period beginning on the date on which the Secretary submits such report.
(7)Basin states program.—
(A)In general.—A Basin States Program that the Secretary, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, shall implement to carry out salinity control activities in the Colorado River Basin using funds made available under section 1595(f) of this title.
(B)Assistance.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council, shall carry out this paragraph using funds described in subparagraph (A) directly or by providing grants, grant commitments, or advance funds to Federal or non-Federal entities under such terms and conditions as the Secretary may require.
(C)Activities.—Funds described in subparagraph (A) shall be used to carry out, as determined by the Secretary—
(i) cost-effective measures and associated works to reduce salinity from saline springs, leaking wells, irrigation sources, industrial sources, erosion of public and private land, or other sources;
(ii) operation and maintenance of salinity control features constructed under the Colorado River Basin salinity control program; and
(iii) studies, planning, and administration of salinity control activities.
(D)Report.—
(i)In general.—Not later than 30 days before implementing the program established under this paragraph, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a planning report that describes the proposed implementation of the program.
(ii)Implementation.—The Secretary may not expend funds to implement the program established under this paragraph before the expiration of the 30-day period beginning on the date on which the Secretary submits the report, or any revision to the report, under clause (i).
(b) Implementation of authorized unitsIn implementing the units authorized to be constructed pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary shall carry out the following directions:
(1) As reports are completed describing final implementation plans for the unit, or any portion thereof, authorized by paragraph (5) of subsection (a), and prior to expenditure of funds for related construction activities, the Secretary shall submit such reports to the appropriate committees of the Congress and to the governors of the Colorado River Basin States.
(2) Non-Federal entities shall be required by the Secretary to contract for the long-term operation and maintenance of canal and lateral systems constructed pursuant to activities provided for in subsection (a): Provided, That the Secretary shall reimburse such non-Federal entities for the costs of such operation and maintenance to the extent the costs exceed the expenses that would have been incurred by them in the thorough and timely operation and maintenance of their canal and lateral systems absent the construction of a unit, said expenses to be determined by the Secretary after consultation with the involved non-Federal entities. The operation and maintenance for which non-Federal entities shall be responsible shall include such repairing and replacing of a unit’s facilities as are associated with normal annual maintenance activities in order to keep such facilities in a condition which will assure maximum reduction of salinity inflow to the Colorado River. These non-Federal entities shall not be responsible, nor incur any costs, for the replacement of a unit’s facilities, including measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone. The term replacement shall be defined for the purposes of this subchapter as a major modification or reconstruction of a completed unit, or portion thereof, which is necessitated, through no fault of the non-Federal entity or entities operating and maintaining a unit, by design or construction inadequacies or by normal limits on the useful life of a facility. The Secretary is authorized to provide continuing technical assistance to non-Federal entities to assure the effective and efficient operation and maintenance of a unit’s facilities.
(3) The Secretary may, under authority of this subchapter, and limited to the purposes of this chapter, fund through a grant or contract, for any fiscal year only to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, a non-Federal entity to organize private canal and lateral owners into formal organizations with which the Secretary may enter into a grant or contract to construct, operate, and maintain a unit’s facilities.
(4) In implementing the units authorized to be constructed or the programs pursuant to paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), and (7) of subsection (a), the Secretary shall comply with procedural and substantive State water laws.
(5) The Secretary may, under authority of this subchapter and limited to the purposes of this chapter, fund through a grant or contract, for any fiscal year only to such extent or in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, a non-Federal entity to operate and maintain measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone.
(6) In implementing the units authorized to be constructed pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary shall implement measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone concurrently with the implementation of a unit’s, or a portion of a unit’s, related features.
(c) Salinity control measures
(Pub. L. 93–320, title II, § 202, June 24, 1974, 88 Stat. 271; Pub. L. 98–569, § 2, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2933; Pub. L. 104–20, § 1(1), (4), July 28, 1995, 109 Stat. 255, 256; Pub. L. 104–127, title III, § 336(c)(1), Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1006; Pub. L. 110–234, title II, § 2806(a), (b)(1), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1089; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title II, § 2806(a), (b)(1), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1817; Pub. L. 115–334, title II, § 2301(d)(2)(G), Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4555.)
§ 1593. Planning reports; research and demonstration projects
(a) The Secretary is authorized and directed to—
(1) Expedite completion of the planning reports on the following units, described in the Secretary’s report, “Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program, February 1972”;
(i) Irrigation source control:
Lower Gunnison
Uintah Basin
Colorado River Indian Reservation
Palo Verde Irrigation District
(ii) Point source control:
LaVerkin Springs
Littlefield Springs
Glenwood-Dotsero Springs
(iii) Diffuse source control:
Price River
San Rafael River
Dirty Devil River
McElmo Creek
Big Sandy River
(2) Submit each planning report on the units named in paragraph (1) of this subsection promptly to the Colorado River Basin States and to such other parties as the Secretary deems appropriate for their review and comments. After receipt of comments on a unit and careful consideration thereof, the Secretary shall submit each final report with his recommendations, simultaneously, to the President, other concerned Federal departments and agencies, the Congress, and the Colorado River Basin States.
(b) The Secretary is directed—
(1) in the investigation, planning, construction, and implementation of any salinity control unit involving control of salinity from irrigation sources, to cooperate with the Secretary of Agriculture in carrying out research and demonstration projects and in implementing on-the-farm improvements and farm management practices and programs which will further the objective of this subchapter;
(2) to undertake research on additional methods for accomplishing the objective of this subchapter, utilizing to the fullest extent practicable the capabilities and resources of other Federal departments and agencies, interstate institutions, States, and private organizations;
(3) to develop a comprehensive program for minimizing salt contributions to the Colorado River from lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and submit a report which describes the program and recommended implementation actions to the Congress and to the members of the advisory council established by section 1594(a) of this title by July 1, 1987;
(4) to undertake feasibility investigations of saline water use and disposal opportunities, including measures and all necessary appurtenant and associated works, to demonstrate saline water use technology and to beneficially use and dispose of saline and brackish waters of the Colorado River Basin in joint ventures with current and future industrial water users, using, but not limited to, the concepts generally described in the Bureau of Reclamation Special Report of September 1981, entitled “Saline water use and disposal opportunities”; and
(5) to undertake advance planning activities on the Sinbad Valley Unit, Colorado, as described in the Bureau of Land Management Salinity Status Report, covering the period 1978–1979 and dated February 1980.
(Pub. L. 93–320, title II, § 203, June 24, 1974, 88 Stat. 271; Pub. L. 98–569, § 3, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2937.)
§ 1594. Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council
(a) There is created the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Advisory Council composed of no more than three members from each State appointed by the Governor of each of the Colorado River Basin States.
(b) The Council shall be advisory only and shall—
(1) act as liaison between both the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the States in accomplishing the purposes of this subchapter;
(2) receive reports from the Secretary on the progress of the salinity control program and review and comment on said reports; and
(3) recommend to both the Secretary and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency appropriate studies of further projects, techniques, or methods for accomplishing the purposes of this subchapter.
(Pub. L. 93–320, title II, § 204, June 24, 1974, 88 Stat. 272.)
§ 1595. Salinity control units; authority and functions of Secretary of the Interior
(a) Allocation of costsThe Secretary shall allocate the total costs (excluding costs borne by non-Federal participants) of the on-farm measures authorized by section 1592(c) of this title, of all measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone, and of each unit or separable feature thereof authorized by section 1592(a) of this title, as follows:
(1) In recognition of Federal responsibility for the Colorado River as an interstate stream and for international comity with Mexico, Federal ownership of the lands of the Colorado River Basin from which most of the dissolved salts originate, and the policy embodied in the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (86 Stat. 816) [33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.], 75 per centum of the total costs of construction, operation, maintenance, and replacement of each unit or separable feature thereof authorized by section 1592(a)(1), (2), and (3) of this title, including 75 per centum of the total costs of construction, operation, and maintenance of the associated measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone, 70 per centum of the total costs of construction, operation, maintenance, and replacement of each unit, or separable feature thereof authorized by paragraphs (4) through (6) of section 1592(a) of this title, including 70 per centum of the total costs of construction, operation, and maintenance of the associated measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone, and 70 per centum of the total costs of implementation of the on-farm measures authorized by section 1592(c) of this title, including 70 per centum of the total costs of the associated measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone, shall be nonreimbursable. The total costs remaining after these allocations shall be reimbursable as provided for in paragraphs (2), (3), (4), and (5),1
1 So in original. The comma probably should not appear.
of subsection (a) 22 So in original. Probably should be followed by a period.
(2) The reimbursable portion of the total costs shall be allocated between the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund established by section 5(a) of the Colorado River Storage Project Act (70 Stat. 107) [43 U.S.C. 620d(a)] and the Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund established by section 1543(a) of this title, after consultation with the Advisory Council created in section 1594(a) of this title and consideration of the following items:
(i) benefits to be derived in each basin from the use of water of improved quality and the use of works for improved water management;
(ii) causes of salinity; and
(iii) availability of revenues in the Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund and increased revenues to the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund made available under section 620d(d)(5) of this title: Provided, That costs allocated to the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund under this paragraph (2) shall not exceed 15 per centum of the costs allocated to the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund and the Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund.
(3) Costs of construction and replacement of each unit or separable feature thereof authorized by sections 3
3 So in original. Probably should be “section”.
1592(a)(1), (2), and (3) of this title and costs of construction of measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone, when such measures are a part of the units authorized by sections 3 1592(a)(1), (2), and (3) of this title, allocated to the upper basin and to the lower basin under subsection (a)(2) shall be repaid within a fifty-year period or within a period equal to the estimated life of the unit, separable feature thereof, or replacement, whichever is less, without interest from the date such unit, separable feature, or replacement is determined by the Secretary to be in operation.(4)
(i) Costs of construction and replacement of each unit or separable feature thereof authorized by paragraphs (4) through (6) of section 1592 4
4 So in original. Probably should be section “1592(a)”.
of this title, costs of construction of measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone, when such measures are a part of the on-farm measures authorized by section 1592(c) of this title or of the units authorized by paragraphs (4) through (6) of section 1592 4 of this title, and costs of implementation of the on-farm measures authorized by section 1592(c) of this title allocated to the upper basin and to the lower basin under subsection (a)(2) shall be repaid as provided in subparagraphs (ii) and (iii), respectively, of this paragraph.(ii) Costs allocated to the upper basin shall be repaid with interest within a fifty-year period, or within a period equal to the estimated life of the unit, separable feature thereof, replacement, or on-farm measure, whichever is less, from the date such unit, separable feature thereof, replacement, or on-farm measure is determined by the Secretary or the Secretary of Agriculture to be in operation.
(iii) Costs allocated to the lower basin shall be repaid without interest as such costs are incurred to the extent that money is available from the Lower Colorado River Basin development fund to repay costs allocated to the lower basin. If in any fiscal year the money available from the Lower Colorado River Basin development fund for such repayment is insufficient to repay the costs allocated to the lower basin, as provided in the preceding sentence, the deficiency shall be repaid with interest as soon as money becomes available in the fund for repayment of those costs.
(iv) The interest rates used pursuant to this chapter shall be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, taking into consideration average market yields on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States with remaining periods to maturity comparable to the reimbursement period during the month preceding October 30, 1984, for costs outstanding at that date, or, in the case of costs incurred subsequent to October 30, 1984, during the month preceding the fiscal year in which the costs are incurred.
(5) Costs of operation and maintenance of each unit or separable feature thereof authorized by section 1592(a) of this title and of measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone allocated to the upper basin and to the lower basin under subsection (a)(2) shall be repaid without interest in the fiscal year next succeeding the fiscal year in which such costs are incurred. In the event that revenues are not available to repay the portion of operation and maintenance costs allocated to the Upper Colorado River Basin fund and to the Lower Colorado River Basin development fund in the year next succeeding the fiscal year in which such costs are incurred, the deficiency shall be repayed 5
5 So in original.
with interest calculated in the same manner as provided in subsection (a)(4)(iv). Any reimbursement due non-Federal entities pursuant to section 1592(b)(2) of this title shall be repaid without interest in the fiscal year next succeeding the fiscal year in which such operation and maintenance costs are incurred.(b) Costs payable from Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund
(1) Costs of construction, operation, maintenance, and replacement of each unit or separable feature thereof authorized by section 1592(a) of this title, costs of construction, operation, and maintenance of measures to replace incidental fish and wildlife values foregone, and costs of implementation of the on-farm measures authorized by section 1592(c) of this title, allocated for repayment by the lower basin under subsection (a)(2) shall be paid in accordance with section 1543(g)(2) of this title, from the Lower Colorado River Basin Development Fund.
(2) Omitted
(c) Costs payable from Upper Colorado River Basin Fund
(d) Omitted
(e) Upward adjustment of rates for electrical energy
(f) Up-front cost share
(1) In general
(2) Basin States Program
(3) Existing salinity control activities
(Pub. L. 93–320, title II, § 205, June 24, 1974, 88 Stat. 272; Pub. L. 98–569, § 4(a)–(f)(1), (g), (i), Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2937–2939; Pub. L. 104–20, § 1(2), July 28, 1995, 109 Stat. 255; Pub. L. 104–127, title III, § 336(c)(2), Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1006; Pub. L. 110–234, title II, § 2806(b)(2), May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1090; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title II, § 2806(b)(2), June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1818.)
§ 1596. Biennial report to President, Congress, and Advisory Council
Commencing on January 1, 1975, and every two years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit, simultaneously, to the President, the Congress, and the Advisory Council created in section 1594(a) of this title, a report on the Colorado River salinity control program authorized by this subchapter covering the progress of investigations, planning, and construction of salinity control units for the previous fiscal year, the effectiveness of such units, anticipated work needed to be accomplished in the future to meet the objectives of this subchapter, with emphasis on the needs during the five years immediately following the date of each report, and any special problems that may be impeding progress in attaining an effective salinity control program. Said report may be included in the biennial report on the quality of water of the Colorado River Basin prepared by the Secretary pursuant to section 620n of this title, section 615ww of this title, and section 616e of this title.
(Pub. L. 93–320, title II, § 206, June 24, 1974, 88 Stat. 274.)
§ 1597. Construction of provisions of subchapter
Except as provided in sections 620d(d)(5), 1543(g)(2), and 1595(b) of this title, with respect to the Colorado River Basin Project Act [43 U.S.C. 1501 et seq.] and the Colorado River Storage Project Act [43 U.S.C. 620 et seq.], respectively, nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to alter, amend, repeal, modify, interpret, or be in conflict with the provisions of the Colorado River Compact (45 Stat. 1057), the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact (63 Stat. 31), the Water Treaty of 1944 with the United Mexican States (Treaty Series 994; 59 Stat. 1219), the decree entered by the Supreme Court of the United States in Arizona against California and others (376 U.S. 340), the Boulder Canyon Project Act (45 Stat. 1057) [43 U.S.C. 617 et seq.], Boulder Canyon Project Adjustment Act (54 Stat. 774; 43 U.S.C. 618a) [43 U.S.C. 618 et seq.], section 15 of the Colorado River Storage Project Act (70 Stat. 111; 43 U.S.C. 620n), the Colorado River Basin Project Act (82 Stat. 885), section 6 of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project Act (76 Stat. 393) [43 U.S.C. 616e], section 15 of the Navajo Indian irrigation project and initial stage of the San Juan-Chama Project Act (76 Stat. 102) [43 U.S.C. 615ww], the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.], and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended [33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.].
(Pub. L. 93–320, title I, § 207, June 24, 1974, 88 Stat. 274.)
§ 1598. Achieving project objectives
(a) Modification of projects
(b) Contract authority; authorization of appropriations
(c) Implementation of basinwide salinity control program
(Pub. L. 93–320, title II, § 208, June 24, 1974, 88 Stat. 274; Pub. L. 98–569, § 5, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2939; Pub. L. 104–20, § 1(3), July 28, 1995, 109 Stat. 256; Pub. L. 106–459, § 1, Nov. 7, 2000, 114 Stat. 1987.)
§ 1599. Definitions
As used in this subchapter—
(a) all terms that are defined in the Colorado River Compact shall have the meanings therein defined;
(b) “Colorado River Basin States” means the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
(Pub. L. 93–320, title II, § 209, June 24, 1974, 88 Stat. 275.)